Method for mounting a concealed slide fastener into a cloth article



Oct. 10, 11961 P. E. CRYSTAL 3,003,445

METHOD FOR MOUNTING A CONCEALED SLIDE FASTENER INTO A CLOTH ARTICLE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 30, 1958 INVENTOR.

PHILIP E. CRYSTAL MH-W ATTORNEY Oct. 10, 1961 P. E. CRYSTAL METHOD FORMOUNTING A CONCEALED SLIDE FASTENER INTO A CLOTH ARTICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed July 30, 1958 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. PHILIP E. CRYSTAL United States Patent F METHOD FOR MOUNTING ACONCEALED SLIDE FASTENER INTO A CLOTH ARTICLE Philip E. Crystal,Scarsdale, N.Y., assignor to Irving Constant, New York, N.Y. Filed July30, 1958, Ser. No. 751,943 Claims. (Cl. 112-262) The present inventionrelates to a method for mounting a concealed slide fastener into a clotharticle, and more particularly to a method for inserting a concealedslide fastener in such manner that it is substantially concealed fromview and closely simulates a seam when its elements engage each other,namely when the slide fastener is closed and the slide fastener elementsof one of the tapes engage the slide fastener elements of the other ofthe tapes.

This invention has as an object the provision of a method for mounting aconcealed slide fastener into a cloth article.

This invention has as another object the provision of a method formounting a concealed slide fastener into a cloth article in which theline of stitching which joins each of the slide fastener elementcarrying tapes to the cloth article is as close as possible to the slidefastener elements.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer tolike parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view revealing the first stage of the processof the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view revealing a later stage in the process ofthe present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view revealing a still later stage in theprocess of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view revealiing a later stage ofthe process of the present invention than that shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view revealing a still later stage in theprocess of the present invention than that shown in FIGURE 4. FIGURE 6is a plan view revealing the concealed slide fastener mounted into thecloth article, such plan view being taken from the rear of the clotharticle which carries the concealed slide fastener.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view similar to that of FIGURE 6 but viewed from thefront of the cloth article wherein the close similarity of theconstruction of the present invention to a sewn seam is revealed.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the slide fastener '10 shown therein ispreferably of the type disclosed in my United States patent applicationSerial No. 740,257 entitled: Slide Fastener, which was filed on June 6,1958.

The slide fastener 10 comprises a pair of element carying tapes 12 and14 which carry mating slide fastener elements 16 on respective welts 1 8and (see FIGURE 7 for welts 18 and 20 in cross-section).

The slide fastener 10 is provided with the top stops 22 adjacent theuppermost elements '16, the top stops 22 being spaced from the uppermostedges of the tapes 12 and 14. Preferably, the top stops 22 comprisenonmating slide fastener elements, thus in the illustrated embodimentthe top stops 22 comprise a plurality of nesting slide fastenerelements.

The slide fastener 10 is devoid of a bottom stop, the

3,803,445 Patented Oct. 10, 1961 bottommost slide fastener elements 16aof each of the tapes 12 and 14 being spaced from the bottommost edges ofthe tapes 12 and 14 by an appreciable distance.

The tapes 12 and 14 0f slide fastener 10 are joined together closelyadjacent to their bottommost edges by means of the bar tack 24 whichmaintains the welts 18 and 20 of tapes 12 and 14 in even parallelalignment in the portion of slide fastener 10 which comprises the gap 26intermediate the bottommost slide fastener elements 16a and the bar tack24.

The slider 28 is reciprocally movable on the slide fastener 10 from thetop stops 22 down to the bar tack 24, the slider 28 being readilymovable along the welts 18 and 20 in the gap 26. As seen in FIGURES 1,2, and 3 the gap 26 has a length appreciably greater than the slider 28,namely a length in the illustrated embodiment of more than double thelength of the slider 28.

The elements 16are pivotable, and may be pivoted on the welt on whichthey are carried from their normal disposition shown on tape 14 inFIGURE 1 to a disposition in which such elements are maintainedsubstantially upright, such latter disposition being presented by theelements 16 of tape 12 in FIGURE 1 in which disposition the free ends ofthe elements are disposed at the front face of the slide fastener withthe innermost endsof the elements (that portion of the elements whichengages the welt) being disposed on the rear face of the slide fastener(such rear face being seen in FIGURE 1). The aforesaid pivotation of theelements 16 of tape 12 enables the line of stitching 30 to be placedclosely adjacent to the elements 16 of tape 12. The line of stitching 30joins the tape 12 to the inner flap 32 of cloth member 34.

Cloth member 34 comprises the relatively narrow inner flap 32 and therelatively wide outer flap 36 which is presented to view when the clotharticle is worn. Thus, in the case of a garment, the outer flap 36 ispresented to view when the garment is worn. The cloth member 34 isjoined to the cloth member 38 which likewise comprises an outer flap 40and an inner flap 42. The tape 14 is to be joined to the inner flap 42.

The cloth members 34 and 38 are folded along parallel abutting foldlines 44 and 46 to form the respective inner and outer flaps 32 and 36and 42 and 40. The cloth members 34 and 38 are joined together in theillustrated embodiment by an upper seam 48 and by a bottom seam 50, suchseams 48 and 51} being collinear.

The line of stitching 30 extends from the topmost edge of tape 12 to apoint about midway in the gap 26. Such line of stitching 30 is evenlyspaced from the welt 18, and preferably comprises a conventionallocks'titch as made by a single needle sewing machine.

During the insertion of the line of stitching 30, the slider 28 isdisposed in the bottom portion of the gap 26 and does not interfere withthe installation of the line of stitching 30. The bar tack 24 aligns thetapes 12 and 14, and also serves to prevent the slider 28 from becomingdisengaged from the slide fastener 10.

In the stage of the process of the present invention shown in FIGURE 2,the line of stitching 52 is added which joins the tape 14 to the innerflap 42 of cloth member 38. Such line of stitching 52 extends from theuppermost edge of tape 14 to a point within the gap 26. It is to benoted that the line of stitching 52 is effected with the elements 16 oftape 14 in perpendicular disposition, in the identical fashion in whichthe line of stitching 30 which joined the tape 12 to the inner flap 32of cloth member 34 was effected. During the sewingin of line ofstitching 52', the slider 28 is positioned within the gap 26 so thatsuch slider 28 does not interfere with the insertion of the line ofstitching 52.

The bar tack 24 maintains the tapes 12 and 14 in alignment facilitatingthe insertion of such tapes so that the same are mounted in suchdisposition that when their elements are engaged, the center line of theslide fastener is collinear with the seams 48 and 50.

It is desirable that the bottommost ends of the lines of stitching 30and 52 extend to the same distance. However, this is not absolutelyessential.

The next stage of the process is shown in FIGURE 3.

In this stage of the process the slider 28 is withdrawn,

from the welts 18 and 20 in the gap 26 and'is moved along the elements16 of the tapes 12 and 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the slider 28is moved to a disposition adjacent the top stops 22. However, it is notnecessary for the slider to be moved all the way to the topof the slidefastener elements 16, it is only necessary that the slider 28 be moved,a sufiicient distance onto the slide fastener elements 16 so that suchslider 28 is out of the gap- 26 and spaced a sufficient distancetherefrom so as not to interfere with the manipulations in the gap 26set forth below.

The next stage of the process of the present invention is illustratedinv FIGURE 4. In this stage the bottom portions of the tapes 12 and 14below the ends of the lines of stitching 30 and 52 are cut away. Thiscanbe readily accomplished with shears or other simple hand tools. Theportion of the tapes 12 and 14 which was cut away is shown in FIGURE 4in phantom line.

In FIGURE 5 there is shown the next stage in the process of the presentinvention. In this stage the seams 48 and 50 are extended so that theslide fastener will present the appearance of a seam which is continuouswith and collinear to such seams 48 and 50.

In the final stage of the process of the present invention shown inFIGURE 6 the bottom clip 54 is applied to the welts 1-8 and of tapes 12and 14 adjacent the bottommost elements 16a. Such bottom clip 54 may beformed of pliable sheet metal and may be readily secured to the welts 18and 20.

The bottom clip 54 serves as a bottom stop and prevents the Withdrawalof the slider 28 from the slide fastener 10.

The appearance of the installed slide fastener is shown in FIGURE 8.When viewed from the front with the elements of the tapes 12 and 14engaged, the slide fastener presents the appearance of a continuation ofthe seams 48 and 50.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a method for mounting a slide fastener upon the adjacent flaps ofa cloth article which slide fastener comprises a pair of mating fastenerelement carrying tapes, each of which tapes carries its elements on awelted inside edge, said slide fastener lacking a botton stop adjacentthe bottommost slide fastener element on each of its tapes, said slidefastener including an element free gas on its tapes having a lengthappreciably greater than the length of the slide fasteners slider, withsaid gap being disposed between the bottommost slide fastener elementson each of the tapes and the bottom end portion of the slide fastener,and said slide fastener including means joining the bottom end portionsof the tapes together, the steps which comprise applying a first line ofstitching to join one fastener element carrying tape of the slidefastener to one flap of the cloth article while the slider of the slidefastener is disposed within the gap and spaced from the bottommostelement of said one tape, extending said first line of stitching intothe gap a spaced distance above the slider, applying a second line ofstitching to join the other fastener element carrying tape of the slidefastener to the adjacent flap of the cloth article while the slider ofthe slide fastener is disposed within the gap and spaced from thebottommost element of said other fastener element carrying tape,extending said second line of stitching into the gap a spaced distanceabove the slider, moving the slider a spaced distance from the gap ontothe slide fastener elements of the slide fastener so that the slider iscarried upon the stitched portions of the tapes a spaced distance fromthe gap, with mating elements of the tapes intermediate the gap and theslider joining the tapes together, cutting off the bottommost portion ofthe slide fastener along a line extending through the gap a suflicientdistance below the bottommost slide fastener elements on each of thetapes to provide room for a bottom stop below the bottommost slidefastener elements on each of the tapes while the elements of the tapesintermediate the slider and the gap are matingly engaged, and applying abottom stop to the inside welted edges of the tapes adjacent thebottommost slide fastener elements on each of the tapes.

-2. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the first and secondlines of stitching are extended into the gap to approximately the sameposition and in which the bottommost portionof the slide fastener is cutoff along the line extending through the gap adjacent the positionoccupied by the ends of said first and second lines of stitching.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the first andsecondlines of stitching are inserted contiguously to the fastenerelements carried by the tapes of the slide fastener.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the first and secondlines of stitching are inserted while the elements carried by the tapesadjacent thereto are pivoted to a substantially upright disposition,with said first and second lines of stitching being so closely adjacentthe elements that the elements overlap their respective lines ofstitching when the elements mate and join the tapes together.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the first and secondlines of stitching extend collinearly a spaced distance above the topstops of the slide fastener.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,990,311 Salwen Feb. 5, 1935 2,078,874 Friedman Apr. 27, 1937 2,155,795Markin Apr. 25, 1939 2,623,214 Yafi'e Dec. 30, 1952 2,629,875 GeissmannMar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 745,564 Great Britain Feb. 29, 1956

